Switch

ABSTRACT

A rheostat type of switch with a centrally pivoted switch lever, a plurality of spaced contacts on one side of the axis and an elongated circuit contact on the other side. A resilient contact strip carried by the lever engages, at one of its ends, one of the spaced contacts and, at the other of its ends, the elongated contact. When the lever is rotated to establish a new circuit, a cam means moves the contact strip away from all contacts.

United \States Patent [72] Inventors GregoryLLaserson 2| .6 g 1 a 46 47 d I9 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,238,316 3/1966 Voss 200/6(A) 2,924,680 2/1960 Swenson r. 200/12 X 3,193,629 7/1965 Losch et al. 200/11 3,470,334 9/1969 De Robertis et al. 200/11 (TW) Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott Attorney-James M. Weilman ABSTRACT: A rheostat type of switch with a centrally pivoted switch lever, a plurality of spaced contacts on one side of the axis and an elongated circuit contact on the other side. A resilient contact strip carried by the lever engages, at one of its ends, one of the spaced contacts and, at the other of its ends, the elongated contact. When the lever is rotated to establish a new circuit, a cam means moves the contact strip away from all contacts.

PATENTEflJuuzsrsn 3,590,17

SHEET 1 OF 2 Y INVISN'TORS. GREGORY 1.. LASERSON By DAVID GENOVESE JOHN P.CHANDLER THEIR ATTORNEY.

PATENTEI] JUN29 IQYI sum 2 or 2 FIG. 7

..8 w 5 6 5 1 IN I J 4 4 04 I 3 2 5 4 w M m W 1- 7 2 M s 4 4 IN VIi'NTORS. G REGORY L. LASERSON DAVID GENOVESE JOHN P. CHANDLER THEIR ATTORNEY.

This invention relates to a multicontact switch with a switch lever which is mounted for rotation between its ends in a housing and carries a spring contact strip, one end of which engages one of the contacts in two sets of contacts and wherein all of the circuits controlled by the switch are open when the switch lever is moved from one position to another to establish a second circuit.

In the switch of the present invention, there is a printed circuit card, and one set of said contacts includes a plurality of spaced separate contacts, any one of which can be connected to the second set, which includes a single elongated arcuate contact, the sets being disposed adjacent opposite ends of the printed circuit board with the lever pivoted between its ends at a central point between the sets of contacts.

A spring contact strip carried by the lever is arranged to contact at one end, one of the spaced contacts and at its other end to contact the elongated arcuate contact, to establish one circuit or several. Means are provided for retaining one end of the spring contact strip in spring urged engagement with the contact or contacts in one set or the other and for maintaining said lever in spaced relation to one set of contacts during rotation of the switch lever. Cam means are provided for maintaining said closed engagement or said spaced relation. In either arrangement, the spring contact strip is in spaced relation when the lever is rotated to establish a different circuit so that during said rotation all circuits are open.

A particular improvement in the present invention resides in the structure whereby the spring contact strip and the switch lever which supports it maintains a fixed relation to the lever axis, that is to say, neither one of these members slide or otherwise move relative to this axis.

This arrangement is more positive and certain than is the arrangement disclosed in Pat. No. 3,470,334, assigned to the same asignee hereof, i.e., Sealectro Corporation, wherein the spring contact strip and the switch lever which supports it are slidable as well as rotatable.

Cam means are provided for maintaining one contact end of the spring contact strip in a normally open or a normally closed relation with one or the other sets of contacts on the printed circuit card.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a switch tion;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the lever arm rotated 90 from the FIG. 2 position;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the cover printed circuit card;

FIG. 5 shows a modified arrangement of the printed circuit card;

FIG. 6 is a section taken through a switch forming a modification;

FIG 7 is an enlarged detailed portion of the switch of FIG. 6.

A switch of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. It includes a housing 10 with a rear wall 11 having a central bearing opening 12 which receives a hub 14 for rotation therein, the hub having a central enlarged section 15 and a front section 16 of the same diameter as hub 14(The housing has a curved upper edge 17 with notches 18. It also has sidewalls 13 and a cover plate 19 secured on the housing by screws 20. The cover plate has a central bearing opening 21 to of the present invenplate and showing the The central hub section 15 has a radial opening 39 within which is positioned a switch lever 40 which is round in cross section and which can be rotated within opening 39 by turning a knob 41 fastened thereon. A flat contact strip 42 having forwardly curved terminal sections 44 and 45 is mounted in a front extension 46 of opening 39 in central hub section 15 and upper and lower struck-out sections 47 of the contact strip prevent vertical movement of the contact strip.

The contour of the spring contact strip, when at rest, is such that the upper curved terminal section 44 is spaced from arcuate contact 34, and lever 40 has a protuberance or can 48 on one side which when the lever is rotated 90 to the position of FIG. 3 moves the terminal section against the fixed arcuate contact. The lever has a second cam 49 just above cam 43 on the opposite side from cam 48 and this cam 49 enters one of notches 18 when the parts are in the FIG. 3 position and prevents rotation of the lever. It will be apparent from the foregoing that when a second circuit is to be established, the lever is rotated 90 thus opening the circuit between contact strip 42 and the arcuate contact 34 and disengaging cam 49 from a notch to allow rotation of the lever. As soon as the lever has been rotated to position it adjacent another fixed contact 30, the lever is rotated to the FIG. 3 position and the lever is again locked against rotation.

FIG. 5 shows the circuit card in reversed position merely to indicate that the upper end of the spring contact strip 42 of FIG. 2 or 42 of FIG. 7 can normally engage, and can be separated from the arcuate contact 34 or the individual c0ntacts 30.

A modified arrangement is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein the upper curved terminal 44 of the spring contact strip 42' has such a contour as to engage the arcuate contact 34 when at rest and not under a bending stress. This is the reverse arrangement from that of FIG. 2. It can be cammed away from the arcuate contact 34 by sliding lever 50 having a horizontal finger or cross piece 51 at its lower end.

The front and rear hub sections 16 and 14 with the enlarged intermediate section 15 are the same as in FIG. 2 and the hub is mounted for rotation in the same manner. Struck-out fingers 47 prevent the spring contact strip from moving up or down in its recess 46 in the central hub section.

In this instance, however, the lever arm 40', instead of being rotatable in the hub, is fixed, and a finger piece 54 carried on the lever can be moved up and down. This fingerpiece which carries arm has a bore 56 with an upper enlarged section 58. The upper end of the arm has an annular recess 59 and a split ring 62 is positioned in the recess. This ring whose ends are normally separated, as shown, can be spring urged inwardly. It is held in a constricted position while the handle is slipped over the split ring and the upper end of the lever. The handle 54 and the lever can be moved up and down within the limits of the length of enlarged bore section 58. When in the down position, the curved terminal 44 is in contact with arcuate contact 34 and the circuit is closed. When it is raised, the curved terminal leaves the arcuate contact and the circuit is now open while the arm is moved preparatory to establishing a receive the rotary switch lever carrier which includes forward hub section 16. v

The rear face 26 of the cover plate forms the printed circuit card and has near its lower edge 29 a plurality of arcuately arranged fixed contacts 30 which terminate conducting strips 31 which are parallel to each other and extend clear to the lower edge of the card. One of these strips'32 extends upwardly to a long arcuate contact 34 and a similar lower arcuate contact 36 extends down to a contact strip 38.

new circuit. The arm is held against any movement, while in the lowered position of FIG. 5, because a projection 60 is positioned in one of a plurality of notches 61 in the upper edge of rear housing wall.

The use of the terms vertical, upper and lower in the specification and in the appended claims are for the purpose of consistency with the figures in the drawings and are not used in any limiting sense.

What we claim is:

ii. A switch including a housing, a printed circuit card in the housing and provided with two sets of contacts, one of which includes a plurality of separate spaced contacts at one end of [th card and the other one of which includes an elongated ar- Lcua'te contact at the other end to be connected to a selected one of the spaced contacts} ahub rotatably journaled between the sets of contacts for rotation'irwithin the housing, a switch lever rotatably journaled in the hub, and a resilient contact spring urged engagement with one of the sets and the other end of the strip having two positions, in the first position it is spring urged into engagement with at least one contact in one of the sets and in the second position it is under a bending stress in spring urged, spaced relation from at least one of the contacts in the other set, and cam means carried by the lever for effecting a selected one of said two positions.

2. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the first set includes said elongated arcuate contact and the second set includes said plurality of spaced contacts.

3. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the card has a second elongated arcuate contact adjacent said spaced contacts.

4. A switch according to claim 1 wherein one edge of the housing has spaced slots therein and the switch lever has a projection which enters one of said slots when a circuit has been established and prevents rotation of the switch lever until a second circuit is to be established.

5. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the switch lever is mounted on a hub journaled for rotation within the housing, the hub having a radial opening to receive the lever which is rotatable on its own axis within the opening, the lever having a cam which in one position urges the resilient contactstrip against one of the contacts on the card.

6. A switch according to claim 1 wherein a cam finger, slidably carried on the switch lever, engages one end of the contact strip to move it into spaced relation to a contact 7. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the first set includes said plurality of spaced contacts and the second set includes said elongated arcuate contact.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,59 7 Dated June 29, 1971 Inventor(s) Gregory L. Laserson and David Genovese It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 8, correct the name of the attorney to James M. Heilman Signed and sealed this 11th day of January 1972.

(SEAL) Attest EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents T FORM PC4050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-p59 fl- |.I.S. GOVERNMENT IRINTING OFFICE SI! 0-355-334 

1. A switch including a housing, a printed circuit card in the housing and provided with two sets of contacts, one of which includes a plurality of separate spaced contacts at one end of the card and the other one of which includes an elongated arcuate contact at the other end to be connected to a selected one of the spaced contacts, a hub rotatably journaled between the sets of contacts for rotation within the housing, a switch lever rotatably journaled in the hub, and a resilient contact strip carried thereby, one end of the strip being retained in spring urged engagement with one of the sets and the other end of the strip having two positions, in the first position it is spring urged into engagement with at least one contact in one of the sets and in the second position it is under a bending stress in spring urged, spaced relation from at least one of the contacts in the other set, and cam means carried by the lever for effecting a selected one of said two positions.
 2. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the first set includes said elongated arcuate contact and the second set includes said plurality of spaced contacts.
 3. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the card has a second elongated arcuate contact adjacent said spaced contacts.
 4. A switch according to claim 1 wherein one edge of the housing has spaced slots therein and the switch lever has a projection which enters one of said slots when a circuit has been established and prevents rotation of the switch lever until a second circuit is to be established.
 5. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the switch lever is mounted on a hub journaled for rotation within the housing, the hub having a radial opening to receive the lever which is rotatable on its own axis within the opening, the lever having a cam which in one position urges the resilient contact strip against one of the contacts on the card.
 6. A switch according to claim 1 wherein a cam finger, slidably carried on the switch lever, engages one end of the contact strip to move it into spaced relation to a contact
 7. A switch according to claim 1 wherein the first set includes said plurality of spaced contacts and the second set includes said elongated arcuate contact. 